New Lights = New Problems?????

[dr.vinyl]

I have just upgraded my lighting from the cheap-O's to TEK T5 ho 4 lamp ready fit fixture, and have had prob's the last few days

the lights were installed about 4" above the new glass lids i had to buy, and yesterday after coming home the temp was 85 when it had been steady between 79-80. I thought t5 T5 produced no heat ???
I also have tons of bubbles on the intakes that are new, is this from new higher lighting???
Last but not least the 50lbs of texas holey (sp) base rock (also called limestone i think) has lots of brown tint to it almost resembeling what i have seen refered to as diatoms??
I decided on T5's after lots of consideration in an attempt to convert my 55fowlr into a reef, nothing to exotic zoo's shroom's maybe a anomene or ?????
water parimeters coming, but no new aditions and tank has been very stable
Thanks for any imput

 

[brucewrs]

get rid of the glass lids....

 

[hot883]

Originally Posted by brucewrs
get rid of the glass lids....

 

[bracebldrs]

i havent been i this very long either but i
remember when i started out. i also had glass tops
many people told me to pitchem.aparently with the heat
from lights you get a poor oxygen gas exchange .suposed to be bad
for fish .dont know about the bubbles but 85deg is up there.
do you have a canopy?you might want to get a small clip on fan
at walmart to blow across water .and kick back light time?
all lights give out some form of heat.

 

[dr.vinyl]

main reason for the lids was to prevent the 3 and 4 year olds from "dropping" somthing into the tank. I have no canopy and would prefer not to add one, think they look kinda silly on 55's personally.
any ideas on the bubbles and brown rock ?
Thanks for the quick replies

 

[marsha]

Originally Posted by Dr.Vinyl
I have just upgraded my lighting from the cheap-O's to TEK T5 ho 4 lamp ready fit fixture, and have had prob's the last few days

the lights were installed about 4" above the new glass lids i had to buy, and yesterday after coming home the temp was 85 when it had been steady between 79-80. I thought t5 T5 produced no heat ???
I also have tons of bubbles on the intakes that are new, is this from new higher lighting???
Last but not least the 50lbs of texas holey (sp) base rock (also called limestone i think) has lots of brown tint to it almost resembeling what i have seen refered to as diatoms??
I decided on T5's after lots of consideration in an attempt to convert my 55fowlr into a reef, nothing to exotic zoo's shroom's maybe a anomene or ?????
water parimeters coming, but no new aditions and tank has been very stable
Thanks for any imput

take the glass off the top... you are making it into a green house... i took mine off and it is doing great now

 

[dr.vinyl]

If i take off the glass tops will the evap or condensation damage the fixture since there is no cover over the bulbs

 

[acrylic51]

You'll see alittle more buildup on the light fixture with it sitting so close to the water surface.....Honestly you should just get a canopy to fit the top of the tank....Why do you think they look silly on a 55?

 

[dr.vinyl]

I can live with the buildup but i was told that these are not the waterproof ballasts, so my concern here is damage to fixture

 

[dr.vinyl]

Originally Posted by acrylic51
Honestly you should just get a canopy to fit the top of the tank....Why do you think they look silly on a 55?
LOL to make a long story short this setup was purchased by the G/F without a lot of thought (impulse) thankfully i intervined and did some research and we have not made to may mistakes

but she bought the wally world stand thats like 2.5 feet off the ground and a DIY canopy would not match and i think looks "off"
if anyone has pics to prove me wrong I would LOVE them
I think I would still have probs with this fixture not being water proof :notsure:

 

[puffer32]

Didn't your lighting come with a splash guard? If not I qould find out why, my T's came with one, find out if the co. that makes the lighting sells them, maybe seperate price. Strange t

hough

 

[dr.vinyl]

Originally Posted by puffer32
Didn't your lighting come with a splash guard? If not I qould find out why, my T's came with one, find out if the co. that makes the lighting sells them, maybe seperate price. Strange t

hough

No splash guard, called LFS and none avaliable???
any other thoughts on other prob's stated above??

 

[riafekim]

I know people have talked about using egg crate to cover the top of thier tanks to stop fish from jumping out. I suppose you can use that to keep things from dropping in as well!